When I was little, everyone knew The Golden Rule:  “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  If there is anyone under the age of 35 who knows it now, they’ve most likely heard various “interpretations” of it, e. g., “do unto others before they can do unto you,” which are not at all correct, but this discrepancy does point up the topic of today’s musing.

By now, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with writing.  A lot.  For when you’ve finally put down your pen (computer/mobile device/mouse/stylus, etc.) , and your work is published (hurrah!), you will need to remember The Golden Rule when you’re trying to publicize your work.

If you want others to write reviews of your work and readers to buy it, then you must be willing to review the works of other writers, purchase their works, and be honest and helpful with your criticism.

I believe I’ve spoken about the flaws in the five star rating system, but you can still be honest without cutting out someone’s heart. . . which reminds me of the huntsman in “Snow White.”  If no other heart is available as a substitute for the writer’s heart,  my suggestion is to find some solid words of praise to season your review; some words of hope.

If you’ve truly hated their work, you might want to refrain from reviewing it at all.  My grandmother used to say, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”  This is an application of the Golden Rule, which is not to be confused with the Golden Mean, which may be a topic for another day.